Steering wheel



F. V. TlscHER STEERING WHEEL July 14, 1925.

Filed Oct. 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE YS.

July 14, 1925. v 1,545,989

F. V. TISCHER STEERING WHEEL Filed Oct, 15, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9a LQ m QQ Q N n nu Patented July 14, 1925.

FRANK V. rrscnnn, or' DYTON, or'I'Io' STEERING-Winners.

Application'- filea october. 15,;Y leze. fserviai Nbffss'sisas.

To. all whom: tl may concern.'

Besitz knownrv that. I, FRANK V. Tisorrnn,

aycitizen `of the United? States, residingat` Daytonin the county of! lVIOntgomery and State' of Ohio, have invented?` certain new and useful .Improvements in Steering Wiheels, ofzwhichl theN following is-` a specification, refer-enceV being had: therein to thev accompanying drawing.

invention., relates' tosteering wheels, and, in `particulan, tothe spider thereof.

Itis .the object of myv invention t'o provide ai spider which may be economically manufactured of@ relativelycheap materials.

It. is anV object to. providev a` spider which maybe quickly andieasily assembled by unskilled labor., and'.` which willf have great It. isy also; an, object tblprovide aspider which willf have thelcustomary. dish neces.- sary-` in4` automobile; steeringA wheels.

It isl a further object-to provide a-spider which; will. not require, complicated cutting or sawing` in order to-forin itof wood orthe like.

Referring to the drawings:

Fi'gire is'a planvieaviwith the cap laminations partially removed to show the oints of the arms of the spider and brace blocks.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. t

Figure 3 is a plan view with the center member partially cut away to show the end of the oints.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, showing the laid-in joint of an arm with the center member.

Figure 5 is a section of the tapered joint of the arm with the center member.

Referring to the drawings in detail:

1, 2, 3, and 4 designate the respective arms of a steering wheel spider. Each of these arms is composed of a head 5, which is in the horizontal, and is used for joining the arms of the spider to the steering wheel rim; an upwardly and outwardly inclined main arm portion 6, which is located at an angle to the head 5, and also at an angle to the horizontal hub portion 7. If desired, the hub portion may be cut away as at 8, to receive a plurality of laminations 9 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Itl will be observed that each of the hub ends 10 of the arms 1 and 3 abut each other, and are glued at that point. The sides of the arms 1 and 3 adjacent to this joint and overlappinggitg, are engaged byy the endsill and 12 of the arms 4 and 2. These-engaging ends;11 and?. 12 are glued tolthe. side-walls ofithe` arms 1. and 3. Thelspaes between the a-buttingrends 1,1iand1127and5the side walls of 1 and23--are fil-led by; brace blocks 13, which are-gluedyinplacef These brace blocks ex tend along the arms to a point wherethe arms moveupwardlyputg of the horizontal; that@ism'the` brace blocks preferable terminateati the outerendof`r the hub portions of thev arinjs.'v j Apluralitypf laminations 9 are preferable inset. within the. shoulders Son top of the hub portions 7v of the arms. .These laminations are gluedinplace.v The laminations, al-lso',r Overlap. Athe vbrace blocks.:

Ithus have an integraloverlapping memben,Loverlapping,allofK the joints; inthe hub.

thexjbottoim of the hubV portion, aseoonda lamination or veneerembraces the hub partielle; This veneer. Str'ns designated L14# Thetwo veneer strips or series'of, strips thus embrace andgarelglued to the hub portions and brace blocks-5, f v. ,l i

Turning to :the modified form of this spider, it willi;A be o bsenvedj,thatin'A Figures aad 5.; lhs. arms. are' ofthe Same ferm and shape generally as in the preceding figures, save that the hub portions of the arms have a special configuration to ita corresponding configuration or cut-away portion in the hub block 15. These special hub portions of the the spokes are tapered, having tapered walls 16 engaging with tapered walls 17 of the hub block. These tapered 'walls of the hub block are associated with the bottom wall 18. The tapered hub ends 19, 20, 21, and 22 of the arms of the spider have their corners 23 adjacent to one another. These tapered ends are also glued into thehub block- 15. A joint portion is provided on the spoke arms for engaging with the hub block at a cut-away shoulder 25, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. In the form shown in Figure 5, .which has a dovetailed tapered cut-away portion and hub portions of the arms of similar configurations, all that is necessary in assembling the spider is to coat the hub portions of the arm with glue and drivethem into place. For the purpose of decorations, lamination strips or veneers 26 and 27 may be pla-ced on either side of the hub block, but that is unnecessary, so far as strength is concerned.

But in the form shown in Figure 4, where the cut-away portion in the hub block is merely a groove having a bottom wall 18 and outwardly tapering walls 28, then it is preferable, when the arms are glued in these grooves, to have a series of laminations 29 on the surface of the hub block in which the hub portions of the arms have been inserted.

It is understood that in all the forms, after the hub is assembled and dried, a. suitable hole vis drilled centrally for receiving the steering wheel shaft and the attaching mechanism. l

In my invention, I have thus eliminated all necessity for bending or pressing of the parts of the spider, while still securing the dished effect, great strength, and economy of construction, due to utilizing relatively small p-ieces of wood.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as maybe fairly embraced within it, and as may be found necessary in adapting it to various conditions in the art in the course of the application of the invention.

` Having thusk fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire ,to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a steering wheel spider, a plurality of arms consisting of hub portions, arm portions, and head portions, said hub portions'in twoof said arms having their ends abutting, and the ends of the other two arms engaging the sides of the first two arms adjacent the joint of the first two arms. y

2. In a steering wheel spider, a plurality of arms consisting of hub portions, arm portions, and head portions, said hub portions in two of said arms having their ends abutting, and the ends of the other two arms engaging the sides of the first two arms adjacent the joint of the first two arms, and

gaging the sides ofthe first two arms adjacent the joint' of the first two arms, brace blocks located in the angles formed by said arms adjacent the joints thereof, and overlapping means adjacent said` hub portions and brace blocks, overlapping the joints yof the arms and the brace blocks.

4. In a steering wheel spider, a plurality of arms consisting of hub portions, arm p0rtions, and head portions, said hub portions in two of said arms having their ends abutting, and the ends of the other two arms engaging the sides of the first two armsadjacent the joint of the first two arms, brace blocks located in the angles formed by said arms adjacent the joints thereof, and overlapping means adjacent said hub portions and brace blocks, overlapping the joints of the arms and the brace blocks, said overlapping means being inset in the surface of said arms to prevent lateral movement thereof.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

FRANK v. TISCHER. 

